I smiled a bit when I read this. If you notice, the article is written from the perspective of Psychologists. There is a subtle dissing of the "counselor" degree, even though some counselors also have their PhD. One of the things I've noticed here in the U.S., is that each "group" of practitioners in the mental health field (psychiatrists, psychologists, Clinical Social Workers, Licensed Professional Counselors, and Marriage & Family Therapists) all have their own biases--and each believes that THEY are the best trained and qualified group to provide therapeutic mental health services and many of them refuse or are reluctant to work cooperatively with each other. In my opinion, it begins to border on the ridiculous when you hear how each group toots their own horn.

Personally, I've had services from a psychiatrist a few times in my life (all were pretty arrogant and eager to push medication and none wanted to see you more than 1 hr. initially and then 15 minutes after that). I've had sessions with PhD psychologists (one for a year and now one for two years), Clinical Social Workers (one for 1 1/2 yrs. and others for "test drives"), a few Marriage & Family Therapists for a test drive of 1 or 2 sessions, and a few Licensed Professional Counselors for brief 1 or 2 sessions. In every case, my decision to work with the therapist was because of their ability to act in a sane, rational and actively listening manner. The others didn't click with me and I don't care if they had had a medical degree AND a professional degree in psychology--they were incompetent socially and professionally . . . or they just didn't connect with me on a personal working level.

I don't think it's about what degree the therapist possesses when it comes to working with me. It's about the person's own mental health (stable and they've worked out their own emotional/psychological issues), their commitment to continuing to learn after graduating, and their willingness to own their part of the relationship and their willingness to seek out supervision and peer mentoring through out their entire career--in other words, they aren't so arrogant that they believe that they've learned everything they need to learn in order to do their job correctly.